I bought this ball head as a part of the Canon monopod 100 (this head + Velbon 4000 monopod). Total price was around $30, which is a nice deal. The head is metal and will support decent amount of weight. Due to its small diameter, it's fairly hard to control exactly the amount of friction you want applied to the head. The weight limit is probably 3-4lb max. Don't put any big long lenses onto it as the screw stopper just won't be able to apply enough force to keep the ball from twisting forward. If you have to put a long lens onto this pod, make sure the slots for the ball head are perpendicular to the lens so it won't do a nose dive.